Chapter 37
THIRTY-SEVEN
Within the hour, news had gotten out about Cam and Hadley’s arrival. Victoria’s small apartment was soon crowded with all our friends. In between questions, though, everyone made their way over to us, telling us in different terms that they knew Victoria and I were going to get together eventually. Alex and Calla were particularly smug, claiming that they were the first ones to see a spark between us.
I just stood next to Tori, touching her every chance I got. It was nice not having to hold back anymore. I liked the way her eyes lit up when I grabbed her hand—almost like she felt the same way. The only detractor was Cole, who groaned every time I kissed her or pulled her against my chest.
“You know this is karma,” Theo said after Cole made another comment. “You and Alex have been disgustingly touchy since the moment you got together. It's about time you felt our pain.”
“It's not the same,” Cole grumbled. “Wait until it’s your baby sister, and then you can talk. ”
“I don’t have that problem,” Theo smirked. “Don’t have a sister.”
“Then your daughter,” Alex quipped back. “That will be really fun for you. And if she’s anything like Calla, you’re in for it.”
“Oh God.” Theo’s face paled at the thought. “That’s it. If I have a daughter, she’s not allowed to date until I’m dead.”
His eyes narrowed at Alex as she smiled innocently at his side, busying herself with another set of magnets she was putting together for Fall Fest. After everyone had gotten to know each other, this had become the unofficial headquarters for the event tomorrow. With our group responsible for three different booths, it was all hands on deck to get everything ready.
Calla and her sister, Devyn, were putting together sample fall-themed bouquets in one corner while Theo and Cole were waiting for Gray. They were going to help him figure out how to set up the equipment for The Lost Tavern’s food stand. Meanwhile, the rest of us were putting together swag bags for Fox Creek, complete with brochures, magnets, and other little trinkets to bring in more guests.
Cam and Hadley tried to help as much as possible, but they were eventually relegated to Emilia duty. Even though she wanted to be involved in what everyone was doing, there was only so much a four-year-old could handle safely.
“Shit,” I hissed as I sliced my finger on the paper slicer, sticking it in my mouth before I could think better of it. As I pulled it out, I smirked at Alex. “You know, most people get paid for their work…”
“Consider it your payment for all of the free lodging,” Alex popped back at me. “And not to mention, my excellent matchmaking services. ”
“Umm, no,” Calla said. “I’m totally taking credit for it. I have a reputation to uphold.”
“Neither of you get credit,” I chuckled. “As much as I love you guys, it was in the works long before you guys said something.”
“How long?” Alex asked.
I turned to look at Tori, smiling softly at her curious frown. “From the moment she got here. She almost crashed into me downstairs, and I thought she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I didn’t even realize who she was.”
“I knew it,” Tori chuckled before turning back to the rest of the group. “He tried to play it off like he knew exactly who I was.”
“I was in shock!” I argued. “You looked nothing like I remembered. But as soon as she smiled up at me, I knew I was done for.”
“You’re such a softie,” Victoria teased as she came closer. “For me, it was a little bit later. Obviously, I thought he was attractive. But I started falling for him when he tried to teach me poker.” She winked at me. “You still owe me a rematch.”
“Name the time and place, trouble.”
Story time ended when Gray crashed through the door, his dog, Elsa, leading the way. As he stumbled with the bags of groceries and craft supplies, Elsa had other plans, barging through the room and right into Emilia’s waiting arms.
“Elsa!” she cooed, wrapping her arms around the dog’s neck. “I missed you! I saved you all the bacon from breakfast.” She pulled a couple of strips from her pocket. “I hope you like them.”
“That explains why she almost pulled my arm off,” Gray grumbled as he dropped the bags on the counter. Calla instantly went over, kissing him on the cheek as she started to empty his supplies.
As most people greeted Gray, Cam grabbed Tori’s arm, his eyes widening at the sight of his idol in the same room. “Holy shit, it’s Grayson Anders. The living legend.” He took Victoria’s hand and brought it to his arm. “Please, you gotta pinch me. There’s no way I’m awake.”
“I volunteer,” Hadley grinned at their side, holding up her fingers.
“Don’t touch me, menace,” Cam sneered, taking a step behind Victoria. “You’d probably rip a layer of skin off just for fun.”
I rolled my eyes at Victoria, quickly getting used to the odd dynamic between the three of them. I had to admit, there was a little jealousy that lingered in my chest at their closeness. Not so much on the romantic side with Cam, even though my fists clenched every time he touched Tori, but more about how well they knew each other.
As I pulled Tori next to me, her eyes were glued to the other side of the room, ignoring her friends' bickering for another face-off. Devyn and Gray stared at each other, neither taking a step any closer to the other. Gray shook his head, as if coming out of a daze. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“It’s fine,” Devyn snapped. “I was just about to leave. I have some work to do at the hotel.”
“Don’t run out ‘cause of me,” Gray grunted. “Just dropping some supplies off. Gotta head back into town.” As he headed to the door, he glanced at her once more over his shoulder, “Good to see you, Devy.”
“Don’t call me that, Grayson. ”
His hazel eyes crinkled with amusement as he turned to look for his dog, who was still wrapped up in Emilia’s arms. He shook his head as he snapped his fingers. “Time to go, Elsa.”
Devyn’s eyes bulged out of her head. “You named your dog Elsa?”
“Yup.” Gray smiled wider than I’d ever seen. “Always had a thing for ice queens.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he closed the door, cutting off Devyn’s muttered string of curses. With the rest of the room devolving into chaos, primarily thanks to Calla interrogating her sister about her interaction with Gray, I took the opportunity to get some alone time with my girl. I took her hand and placed my finger to my lips. We snuck out into the hallway and headed down the stairs. Once we were clear of the main dining area, I brought her into the unoccupied maintenance office, letting the door close behind us.
“Thank you.” Tori placed her hands on my chest. “As much as I love all of them, my apartment is not nearly big enough to have everyone in one room.”
“Tell me about it, trouble,” I grumbled, leaning down to kiss her lips. As she stared up at me, I dragged my fingers through her hair. “How are you handling everything?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know, with telling Emilia about us, Cam and Hadley being here, everyone camping out in your living room. How are you handling all of it?”
She sighed and placed her head against my chest. “It’s okay. Most of it is a relief. I’m happy Emilia knows and that she’s cool with us being together. And honestly, it’s good to see Cam and Hadley, even if their bickering is making me want to strangle them.” She peered up at me. “I like that we’re this loud, ridiculously crazy family. But it also makes me incredibly thankful that they’re all going to their own homes tonight.”
“What about Cam and Hadley?”
Victoria chewed on her lower lip. “I told them that they could stay with me for the weekend. Hadley can sleep in my bed, and Cam’s going to sleep on the couch.” Her eyes studied me with apprehension. “Is that okay?”
“It’s not up to me,” I chuckled. “It’s your home. Am I thrilled about your ex sleeping ten feet away from you? Not really. But I trust you.”
Victoria's smile turned devious as she looked up at me. “Well, I was actually thinking, since they’re going to be there tonight, maybe after Emilia goes to bed, I can stay the night at your cabin.”
I didn’t give her a moment to say anything else, instead bringing my lips to hers with a newfound vigor. My hands found her ass, pulling her up against me. I groaned as she slid against my length, bringing my cock to life. He was desperate for another taste of her tight pussy, not caring how many people were on the other side of the door.
I gripped her hair and dropped my head to her forehead. “Shit, trouble. I don’t know if I can wait that long.”
“Me either,” she groaned, palming my length through my jeans. I cursed as she tugged open the fly and tucked her fingers around me. “I need you inside me, Adam.”
I pushed her against the door, gripping her thighs so they wrapped around my waist. Sliding my pulsing cock against her core, I let out a muffled groan. “Is this what you want, baby?”
“Yes,” she moaned, arching her back to bring her closer to me.
My hands dug through my jeans, searching for the condom I thought I’d tucked in there earlier. “Dammit,” I said, dropping my head to her shoulder. “I don’t have a condom. Left them all over at my cabin.”
“I have an IUD,” she said, the words rushing out as she ground her pussy against my cock. God, just the touch was enough to remind me how perfect it felt inside her. It almost made me lose all rational thought. My hand shifted to her cheek, shifting her eyes up to mine.
“Is that what you want?” I asked, the words catching in my throat. “We don’t have to do this. We can wait until later–”
“I’m sure—I trust you, Adam, and I want to feel you without anything between us.” Her warm eyes never left mine. “If you’re not comfortable, I understand.”
“You have no idea how badly I want that, Tori,” I said as I pushed her back against the door. “You want me to fuck you bare right here? You want me to fuck you so hard, you can feel where my cock leaves its mark all day?” She whimpered a yes. I reached into her long, dark hair, tugging it so her eyes were glued to mine. “Then you better hold on, baby. Because by the time I’m done with you, everyone here will know without a doubt that you’re mine.”